It is known that franking systems may comprise a smart card read module allowing the exchange of data by physical transfer between this system and a resetting centre, with a view mainly to allowing the system to be reloaded with credit, or postal data such as the types of products or postal services, or more simply postal tariffs, to be updated.
Now, except for the reloading of funds which the operator is compelled to do if he wishes to proceed with the printing of new postal indicia once his credit is exhausted, the updating of the postal data, particularly the postal tariffs, is not an obligation for the operator who, without necessarily knowing, may therefore continue to use the expired postal tariffs for franking his mail items. Such use is not without risk for this operator whose mail items bearing postal indicia at the expired tariff are in that case likely to be rejected by the Postal Service.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a franking system which overcomes the drawback set forth hereinabove by informing the operator of the need to use new postal tariffs. Another object of the invention is to update the postal tariffs necessary for printing postal indicia, at the operator's request. A further object of the invention is to update the postal products and services associated with the postal indicia.